Leeds United's hunt for a new manager will ramp up today as the club look to make a swift appointment to replace the sacked Thomas Christiansen.

Christiansen was informed of his fate yesterday following a desperate 4-1 home defeat to Cardiff City and Andrea Radrizzani has opted to pull the trigger now in a bid to salvage Leeds ' season.

Steve McClaren is the early favourite to replace Christiansen in the Elland Road hotseat but there has already been a plethora of names linked with the vacancy.

Here's how the national media reacted to the sacking - and where Leeds turn next as they look for a new manager.

The Guardian

The 44-year-old Dane was appointed on a two-year contract in June but after a promising start in which Leeds were top of the table in September, they have since fallen away from the top-six reckoning, losing five of their last seven matches.

Christiansen’s assistants, Julio Bañuelos and Paul Butler, have also left Leeds, along with the fitness coach, Ivan Torres.

The dismissal of the former APOEL Nicosia manager means Leeds are looking for their seventh manager since 2014 and 10th since Simon Grayson departed after a four-year spell in January 2012.

The Daily Mail

Leeds expect to make an appointment to quickly to replace Christiansen, possibly within the next few days.

Reading manager Jaap Stam is likely to be in the frame. Leeds were keen to appoint him in the summer and Stam is expected to leave the Madjeski Stadium at the start of next week – he has struggled to follow up last season’s campaign, when Reading finished third. The Royals are currently 18th in the Championship.

Stam would be considered a contentious appointment by many Leeds fans due to his connection to rivals Manchester United.

Former Leeds boss Grayson is very interested in a return to the club. The ex-Sunderland and Preston manager considers it his dream to return to Elland Road.

Grayson, who came through the club’s academy, was in charge of Leeds between 2008 and 2012, securing promotion from League One in that time.

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Leeds were top in September and Radrizzani felt he had to act now because of their seven-game winless run, which included an embarrassing FA Cup defeat to Newport, to give them a chance of rekindling their promotion bid.

Radrizzani had wanted to bring stability to Leeds following the chaos of Massimo Cellino’s reign, but is now looking for the club’s ninth manager since May 2014.

The Independent

After owner Andrea Radrizzani had said that the top six was the "minimum requirement" the club have acted swiftly to remove the Danish-born former Spain international.

The home crowd booed Christiansen's decision to replace Pierre-Michel Lasogga with Hadi Sacko in the second-half of Saturday's defeat, and pressure has been steadily building as injuries built up and results went downhill.